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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bass · pitcher · mug · pound · fork · rest · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rest — a break
  5. rock — a stone
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a face
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. content — happy
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — to rob
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rock — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com